Friday, March 26, 2010

Los Angeles Times: McCain facing toughest reelection battle in two decades

Some excerpts from the article, which accurately labels McCain's latest transformation into a conservative in order to campaign, "McCain Adapting to Face a Challenge From the Right."

Some years ago, a group of angry conservatives staged a march through this posh Phoenix suburb, venting their frustration with Sen. John McCain. He wished them well and, through a spokeswoman, suggested they all wear sunscreen.

These days, however, McCain is not so glib about the rancor on his right.

Two years after winning the GOP presidential nomination, McCain is facing his toughest reelection fight in nearly two decades -- a primary challenge that highlights his uneasy relationship with fellow Republicans and the perils of his White House pursuit.

There is little honor in might-have-been, nothing that inoculates McCain from the economic anxiety and anti-incumbent undertow pulling at officeholders everywhere. Arizona faces one of the country's worst budget deficits: Parks are closing, 911 service faces cuts andchildrenare being kicked off the state insurance rolls.

The traits that turned McCain into a national figure -- his ambition, his go-against-the-grain persona, his willingness to work with Democrats on climate change, judicial appointments, immigration and more -- are being used to question his loyalty to the state and his party.

One thing that hasn't changed is McCain's pugnacity. Just about every day brings a new McCain endorsement, ad or attack. Some are substantive; others, such as a back-and-forth over a Hayworth spoof showing McCain in "Avatar"-like blue paint, are not.

Read the rest of the article      

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